THE MICHIGAN DAILY

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 0, 1956

THE MICHIGAN DAILY SUNDAY. DECEMBER 9.1956

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'Thou Shalt Call His Name Jesus'

CHRIST'S BIRTHDAY:
Christmas Represents
Spiritual, Moral Rebirth

By GERALD LUNDY
Evidence of the holiday season
is present everywhere.
Gifts are being given and re-
ceived. Brotherly love and good-
will is at a peak. Joy and laugh-
ter create a genial and gay at-
mosphere. People are crowding
pews in religious observance of
the holiday. A once pagan holiday
is now a day on which man has
chosen to express his spiritual
and moral values.
Why does Christmas have such
a great and human value?
There are some who support the
idea that Christmas is a moral
symbol but feel that most people
don't observe it according to that
Idea.
Student Comment
Marilyn Wyngarden, '60, com-
mented that the Christmases of
old represented a time for spiri-
tual rebirth in man.
She stated that "The birth of
Christ represents the idea of a
spiritual rebirth in us which
should come about at this time
of year.
She said that Christ in his
teachings and in the life that he
led shows us how great are the

-Daily-David Arnold
NATIVITY OF THE NAZARENE-Twenty Centuries have questioned His divinity, just as He must question the behavior of those
He came to save.

ue I tOWn & ountry mew ureaus Nativit Sc
apphied on sound tire bodies or on your tiresN'S
For Your Car Today..Remembers
Size 6B70-15 Birth of Christ
Throughout the nation during
the Christmas season, nativity
Windshield lea Iscenes, like the one pictured on
nd Snow Scraer - this page, are placed in front of
Eidperchprches and homes to further re-
Get one Exchange mind us of the true meaning of
Pe s Tax Christmas.
for your The replica of the- birth of
car todgy- Christ in the above photograph is
located in front of a home on 35
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A -~ Al

'Questions About Christmas'

4'NOw the birth of Jesus Christ was on this to God? Or is it "honored" with gift bartering, spiritual qualities of man.
wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused with exhausting hours of shopping for impres- She added, "Sure, I believe that
to Joseph, before they came together, she was sive gifts, with candy and alcohol, with homage Christmas is a spiritual symbol
found with child of the Holy Ghost. to Santa and Rudolph, with "All I Want for but some of us observe it as if it
"Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth" and "I Saw were representative of material-
and not willing to make her a publick example, Mommy Kissing Santa Claus", and with Christ- ism. We just aren't sincere enough
was minded to put her away privily.ikal mas formals and parties? Does the day have spiri- of year G"v
"But while he thought on these things, behold, tual significance for you?
f "th e he Lord appee thims, h , These questions should be faced by each of us To support her statement she
rthe angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a if we answer yes to the main question. Only if reflected that In gift giving those
dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear Christ is God manifest to us do we have responsi-f gifts which stem from sincerity
not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that Chitis God maning Hus dorehay respori are directed to persons like rela-
f which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. reines toward honoring His birthday with more tives or close friends.
reverence than it receives now. Said Miss Wyngarden, "When
"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt adi egv opol htw
callnhs nameJESUS:fortheshaelpave hiapeopl
call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people HOW should we honor God's Son? Shouldn't are less particular about we may
 from their sins'we try to live every day of the year as if it loss the true spirit."
"Now all this was done, 'that it might be ful- were Christmas, giving thanks to God for His One Lit student feels that some-
filled which was spoken of the Lord by the proph- love which allows us to love God and mankind times we give presents to less es-
et, saying, "Behold a virgin shall be with child, and experience life "abundantly"? Shouldn't stu- teemed people accompanied by a
and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call dents and teachers, as regards our local scene, be sense of obligation when we
his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, not so preoccupied with the truths of particular should give with "intellectual and
God with us. academic disciplines but seek truths of life it- spiritual values in mind."
"Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as self? Why is it that religion and perhaps morality He added that many of us give
the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took is apologized for on campus? Why is it dispar- just because of the spirit thatis
unto, him his wife: aged and given the stigma of naivete? Can Intel- it a is sn d t i gify.
"And knew her not till she had brought forth lect explain life? Is it perhaps true that GodChristmas is supposed to signify.
h ast hid these things from the wise and prudent, "Gift in Giftmas"
her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS." abHe commented that Christmas
-Mattew: 118-25 and hast revealed them unto babes .. .?tdyi srd ap
-Matthew: 1: 18-25 today is a "sort of a put the gift
Can't Christ's revolutionary but simple way back into Giftmas" proposition.
S THIS gospel fiction or fact? of life - love of God, love of neighbor as your- Some students feel that ther
Is it no more than a gem of historical litera- self, humily and a forgiving mind - be compat- is a tendency in a society with
ture, or is it something more - the revelation ible with man, the searching intellect? As we find an economy like that of the United
of a Just sand loving God as He manifested Him. out more about our world and universe, can't God States to have more of a material-
self on earth 2,000 years ago? be more instead of less appreciated as the engi- istic time at Christmas than at
s n rit , n y e fgw? neer of it all? any other period of the year "with
most insane, paranoiac farce that ever duped hu- To minds which have sought truth through all the advertising and merchants
manity? Are there any alternatives but these? Plato, Kant, James and other mortals, the Christ striving and competing for that
Is life more than meat, money and raiment? I child's story seems to simple an explanation of almighty dollar."
Its duration more than m a onean ? life, almost like a fairy tale. There is an essential Calvin Ashford, '56 Med, agrees
simplicity to it. Wasn't it made so by a lovinga t
Is Chist tue''seems greater at Christmas'' but
Especially we must answer to these questions od whondidnw intn thatr"outside appearances" may
near His birthday. All of us, whether we were for salion be of little indication of whether
"born" to believe in Him or not, we must labelssrtiisfat s
Him finally as "farce" or "Saviour". This is a hNDso we must answer gdSaviour" or "farce" to He also feels that we can't rely
rchoice which all must make. It concerns the the Christ child this season. If we accept Him on the explanations of those "so
meaning of life itself. No person will ever answer our celebration of His birthday should be steered effected by Christmas atmos-
as momentous amquestion. He came saying, "I am to doing just that.hk-EreaseC ma ,odehe
G*"' and we must retort, "You are ... If we believe on Him, life should be more than tate to talk about that which they
eating and sleeping, bluebooks and parties, vic-. consider to be a good deed.
THESE are the QUESTIONS- OF CHRISTMAS tories and defeats, but purposeful and endless. Religious Attitudes Increase
at bedrock. Others arise about Christmas at The wise men took Him gold, frankinsense and Florence Slade, former teacher
practice. mvrhh. The Christmas present He wishes most and Ann Arbor resident says that
Is Christ's birthday celebrated with love and from twentieth century mortals is faith. "though materialistic attitudes do
increase ateChristmas, so do the
goodfelowsip mon me wih thnkflnes -AME ELMAN religious or spiritual aspects of
Sm the holiday."
.. ; .":: : ~.: ;: : . :. .: 'Mrs. Slade observes that there
*EC RDSare more people in churches "and
man realizes anew his obligation
Haold Duerksen, Program Di-
Srector of the University Office of
Coumh anvx RCA 3aptorthis fellow."IL
,Religious Affairs, says that in-
h J '.cieased church attendance shows
. (! that mans spiritual awareness in-
cieases at Christmas "as much as
the materialistic attitude in
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in with the real event of Christ-
mas. And that this desire to "tie
ourselves in' may be due to the
"superficial" feeling that to go
to church is just the thing to do
on Christmas.
He concluded, "The man that
understands God's mercy in the
Christmas event can't help ex-
press in some way his joy regard-
less of sin."
Psychological Reasons
An Ann Arbor minister main-
tains that some people who at-
tend religious services at Christ-
mas for a more psychological rea-
son. He said "At some time most
men have made some committ-
ment to God though some don't
attend church very often. At
Christmas, when spiritual values
are so high, these people tend to
be conscious of their commitment
and return to church." He feels
that it gives them spiritual satis-
faction and eases their con-
sciences.
A few students have contended
that. the businessman is largely
responsible for the material and
commercial value that is some-
times placed on the Yuletide.
Said one pre-med student,
"Large department stores place
more emphasis on Santa Clauses
and the money-making aspect of
Christmas than the manger."
He felt that these displays and
material emphasis have the ef-
fect of awakening the material-
istic attitude at this time of year.
Businessman Speaks
An Ann Arbor business man
contends that 'comnercialization'
of Christmas has always existed.
"It always has been commercial
to a certain extent. He said, "Peo-
ple always want to buy things and
give them to their friends to pre-
serve their inner feelings."
He believes that window dis-
plays and, advertisements can't
make the people buy. "It's the peo-
ple that determine the demand
and not the business," he said.
"Out For The Dollar"
A local clothier maintains
that Christmas is rapidly becom-
ing more and more commercial-
ized. He argues that merchants
are out for "that dollar" more
than anything else.
When asked if he thought that
Christmas always has been com-
mercialized, he stated "No! What
about .the people in Alaska and
those in this country centuries
ago? They had no stores to speak
of. They made most of their gifts!"
A history student believes "no
one group is responsible for what
I term: a general change of spirit.
If there is blame, it would prob-
ably fall on all of us."
Find Definition
Of X' in Xmas
"What is the meaning of the
"X" in Xmas?
. Many people ponder this ques-
tion as they see Xmas printed on
greeting cards, advertisements,
gift wrappings and holiday dis-
plays.
Actually this "X" has a religious
significance deriving from the
Greek word meaning Christ. The
first two letters chi (X) and rho
(P) were used by early Christians
in monograms. From this is de-
rived the "X" which today is pres-
ent in the abbreviation of Christ-
Imas.
As one coed commented, "What
we really want to achieve by tak-
ing 'X' out of Christmas is to re-
move the over-materialistic values
which have grown with our cele-
brations of this event through the
year.''
Another University student add-
ed, "The problem is not to take
'X' out of Christmas but to try to
remember it's true significance."

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